Lumsing’s harmonica-shaped power bank is everything you could want in an external battery

Lumsing’s harmonica is an inexpensive, powerful charger for your iPhone or iPad.

Battery packs are a necessary evil in our modern lives. Devices that can’t get through a day without a charge surround us, but the thin-and-light profiles we take for granted can’t accommodate swappable batteries. Add battery-intensive tasks like gaming or video to the mix, and the result is that we often don’t feel safe leaving the house without an extra battery in our bags.

If you’re in the market for a necessary evil, I like Lumsing’s Harmonica Style Portable Power Bank. It looks good, feels great in the hand, works great, has tons of battery life and is super-cheap. What more do you want for an accessory that you really don’t want to have to carry around with you at all?

With possible exceptions like the HyperJuice, which can charge MacBooks as well as iPhones or iPads, few people are going to wax poetic about the technology of a backup battery. What is there to say? It’s just a battery in a case with a couple of USB ports drilled into the side. But even by those standards, I like the Lumsing a lot.

First of all, it has a lot of capacity. Its 10,400mAh battery is enough to fully charge an iPhone around eight times, an iPad mini about two-and-a-half times and an iPad Air once. In my tests, you’ll get a little less, but that’s pretty common for external batteries: Not all the electricity makes it from the battery to your device, but the vast majority of every watt does.

If the Lumsing was $100, getting, say, seven iPhone charges out of the battery instead of eight would be a deal-breaker. But the Lumsing is cheap: You can buy one for around $20 on Amazon right now, down from its MSRP of $60, making this one of the cheapest, highest-capacity batteries I’ve ever seen.

But the Lumsing doesn’t feel cheap. Part of that is because of its innovative harmonica-style case, which makes the charger feel great in the palm of your hand. It’s well-balanced, and while the case of the Lumsing Harmonica Style Portable Power Pack is plastic, it’s painted to resemble metal. The Champagne-colored unit I reviewed matched my wife’s gold iPhone 5s.

Truth be told, all my complaints about Lumsing’s battery pack are pretty nit-picky. The battery only has two USB ports, one for iPad charging and one for iPhone charging. Sure, there could be more, but I don’t really care that much. And I guess the power button sounds a little “clicky” when you push it, something that might annoy you for a millisecond every day. Jony Ive wouldn’t have let a design detail like that through, but he might if he was designing $20 battery packs.

Overall, if you’re looking for a portable battery pack, I’d recommend the Lumsing Harmonica Style Portable Power Bank. It’s everything you really need in a battery pack: It’s inexpensive, reliable, attractive and well-made. What more could you ask?

Lumsing Harmonica Style Portable Power Bank The good: Inexpensive, reliable, attractive, powerful and well-made. The bad: A few small details here and there, but nothing major. The verdict: For $20, you won’t find a better, longer-lasting battery pack. Buy from Amazon

Amazon price: $23.99

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Lumsing 6000 mAh Portable USB Battery

Tech Review: Lumsing 6000 mAh Portable USB Battery

I have had the pleasure of reviewing many portable USB batteries. In the past few years, we have developed smartphones to be super-powerful. As a result, they eat up precious battery life. One solution is to buy an extra battery if your phone allows swapping of the battery. In the case of iPhones and certain Android devices, you cannot remove the battery. You can only charge it when you get the chance. For many smartphone users, myself included, one power cycle of a battery is not enough for a full day activity, let alone something more adventurous such as a camping trip. Enter external batteries. They come in many shapes and sizes.

Today’s item for review is the Lumsing 6000 mAh Ultraslim Portable Battery. This device gives you just enough juice, in a good-sized package, to get you through 1-2 battery cycles of power. When I first held the device, everything felt secure. No loose components, no design flaws that could impact my overall impression of the device. It parallels my phone in my pocket, which I really like. Some batteries are shaped like a small barrel, others are way too massive to carry in your pocket. For the battery capacity, the size is just perfect.

 

The battery does a great job of charging phones. Some batteries promise to provide 2.1A, but only when the battery is at full charge. As the charge decreases, the charging speed also decreases. This happens on this battery at the 25-50% mark, which is much better than others. This happens with all batteries, but this device has been exceptional in providing a full charge for the majority of the battery capacity.

The device comes with the following:

• One 6000mAh battery with two USB ports
• One spiral Micro-USB cable, compatible with most Android phones(you will need an Apple USB cable if you want to charge an iPad or iPhone)
• A nice pouch for the device, which is important if you hate tiny scratches from keys or coins in your pocket
• An instruction manual

The device charges using the provided cable. I do not recommend charging from a computer unless you have a USB 3.0 port, capable of charging devices quickly. Instead, use your phone’s charger to power the device. It charges it faster, and I feel that it provides a “full charge” when you disconnect it and use it.

Performance wise, I always recommend turning off your phone or device before charging it, unless you need it on. It provides a faster charge. When camping, I always turn off my phone, charge it, and let it sit overnight. The phone charges until it hits 100%, then turns off the charging capability, which in turn disables the charge coming from the external battery, thus saving battery life.

There are two ports on the device, one port for 1.5A, and one for 2.1A. You can use both if you wish, but it will slow the charging time. When I took a motorcycle across the US and used a different battery(same company), I was charging my phone with the higher ranked charging port and charging a spare phone battery with the lower ranked charging point. It worked quite well.

Overall, Lumsing has provided me with some fantastic batteries to review. I use them regularly and they have proven themselves to be a reliable, good company for external batteries. If you’re looking for a smaller battery capacity that will charge your phone fully once and about 3/4 of the way before needing a recharge, this is the device for you.

Click here to purchase the Lumsing 6000 mAh Portable Charger

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The TeD Review: Lumsing Power Bank LUM-008-01

Lumsing Power Bank LUM-008-01: The TeD Review

Nowadays, if you aren’t searching for power for your electronic devices, its because of one of three things; you are in your car with a charger, at a desk with an outlet, or you have an external battery. We got our hands on a Lumsing power bank, model LUM-008-01, with 10,400 mAh of extra battery power. I gave it a full one week test, using only it to recharge my Moto X, after work and overnight. First let’s have a look at the device itself and the packaging.

Lumsing Power Bank Unboxing

As I’ve stated before, with all the recycling efforts going on, one doesn’t need these glossy colorful boxes to get me attracted to a product. Not to mention, a lot of items now are ordered from the internet, so you’ve seen all the fancy pictures before you receive the item anyways. The Lumsing power bank comes in a proper, naturally recycled, brown, pre-cut single piece of cardboard, folded to perfection.

The foam plastic interior may not be recyclable, but it is a good look and keeps the device and cord tidy during shipping. It has a large compartment for the device and the paperwork, and a small partition for the supplied recharging cord. The plastic containing the cord I don’t think was necessary; a twist tie would suffice here.

The device comes in a plastic pouch, hiding the sleek and modern look of the Lumsing power bank. It comes with a high quality velour bag for transporting the device, and preventing scratches. It also includes an instruction sheet, in multiple languages and a registration card.

Upon inspection, this device feels much better to hold than a “standard” power bank. The harmonica shape fits nicely in the palm of your hand and is easy to carry. Think luggage or briefcase handle. It is certainly a premium feeling device, there is no question about that. However, form is nice, but function with a power bank is much more important. Let’s see how its fared.

Lumsing Power Bank Performance

This Lumsing power bank uses high quality Samsung cells for its charge. It charges on a 1.5A 5v port and contains 2 5V output ports, one 1A and one 2.1A. The literature and their site states that this Lumsing power bank can recharge an iPhone 4 times, a Galaxy S3 3 times and an iPad once.

The challenge for me, as I’ve posted before on Google Plus, is that I destroy my Moto X battery on a daily basis. If my work day is slow, I spend a lot of time on the phone, and just keep having to charge it in my truck. After work however, I play Ingress a lot. Ingress is no friend to your battery either considering you need to have your screen on to play. Most of that time is spent walking around, and not in contact with any power source.

This Lumsing power bank got put through the wringer. The day after I received it, I plugged my phone into it after work. At 63%, my Moto X was pretty high for after work. In one hour and 15 minutes, the Lumsing power bank still showed full (4 LEDs lit), and my phone was fully charged.

The second day, after work, it was decided we would be leveling my wife up in Ingress, so we ventured out at 4:20 pm. Generally, playing Ingress while plugged into an external power source overheats your battery and you don’t get a good charge. However, even plugged into the 2.1A port, my Moto X never overheated and charged from 58% to 89% in 45 minutes, while being subjected to screen on for 90% of that time. This alone gives this battery high marks in my eyes.

I decided I would charge my Moto X overnight using the Lumsing power bank. After the overnight trickle charge on the 1A port, the power bank was only down to 75% (3 LEDs lit). The next day after work I was at 28% and plugged into the charger. In one hour and 50 minutes, I was at 100% and the power bank was still at 3 LEDs lit. Another overnight charge from 40% finally brought it down to 1 LED lit.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a reasonably sized, comfortable to hold external battery, this Lumsing power bank is a looker. With three colors to choose from, and a stylish exterior, it is backed by quality components, and 10,400 mAh of power storage. Hitting a price point of $25 on Amazon puts it squarely in the middle of comparable external batteries. With the Samsung cells in this device, I’ve certainly noticed a difference between this and other batteries I’ve tested.

Overall, I have no reason not to recommend this battery based on my testing and the feel of the device. It performed extraordinarily well during my use, and the full charge on the Lumsing power bank lasted a full 5 days.  The added velour bag and flat style USB cable were a bonus, as most I’ve used come with a canvas or mesh bag. I look forward to testing more of their items!

Bonus

Our second season of Bob’s On Air Tech Talk (BOATT) starts this Friday, September 5th at 9 PM EST and if you are tuning in, you could win this Lumsing power bank! Our hosts Alvie and Tony have guest Joe, from Mobile Cup Of Joe, on to talk about all tech items! Tune in to have a chance to win this fantastic device.

Website: Lumsing Accessories

Product: Lumsing Power Bank LUM-008-01

 

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Review: Lumsing Mini 3000mah Portable Charger and Flashlight

There's so many portable charging devices on the market, it's tough to keep up, let alone choose the best device for your situation. I've reviewed Lumsing devices before. The quality is exceptional if you can overlook some English mangling in the documentation.

First impressions are important. The Lumsing Mini packaging is remarkable, which surprised me. The box is a thick, solid cardboard, so if you decide to grab this for a gift, it's easy to wrap and sure to impress the intended recipient. I almost felt bad throwing the box away.

But, really, it's what is in the package that is the most important. The box contains the Lumsing mini, a single USB cable (for both charging devices and charging itself), a Power User program guide (basically an advertisement for Lumsing), and the User Manual.

If you've had experience with mini portable chargers before, you'll enjoy this one. It's not cheaply made. The Lumsing mini, about the same size as a lipstick case or roll of quarters, is solid. The design and construction makes it feel substantial, despite its mini size. You could drop the Lumsing mini (accidentally, of course) and feel comfortable that it's going to continue working, and that's a good thing considering portable power sources are intended to be used on the go, rushing around from place to place.

The Lumsing Mini design is simple and that's also a good thing. One end of the device offers both the 5v in and 5v out ports. The "out" port, of course, is for attaching the smartphone, tablet, or other device that is in need of power, while the "in" port is for charging the Lumsing Mini while attached to a USB port or USB wall charger. The unit does not come with its own wall charger, but most devices like this do not anyway. Most manufacturers these days assume everyone has an open USB port or access to a stack of wall chargers, so they won't include it. And, of course, this policy also helps drive down the price of the actual device.

There are many mini chargers available like the Lumsing Mini, too many almost. You can find them lining the walls of every store in every airport and you've probably been tempted many times to pick up a few as travel presents. So, there has to be something that makes the Lumsing version stand above the rest.

First off, this is a 3000mah unit, meaning it will supply an additional 9 hours of talk time for your smartphone. That's significant. Other units only tout around 5 hours. The Lumsing does it without adding additional size.

The second thing, that makes the Lumsing Mini different, is that if you double-tap the power button, an embedded LED lights up, giving you a short-range flashlight, which can be extremely useful in situations where you need to find you’re the correct entry key, or locate something on the floor in a dark room. In fact, it’s the flashlight feature that caused the Lumsing Mini to disappear from my office and somehow end up in my daughter's purse. I have other portable chargers that I travel with, so I'm OK with it, but I did experience a moment of remorse.

All-in-all, the Lumsing Mini is a good device. The size is exceptional, it's rugged, and it provides that extra bit – the built-in flashlight.

You can find it on Amazon for around $14.00 US here: Lumsing Mini 3000mah Ultra-compact Portable Charger External Battery Backup Charger

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Lumsing E-DR15 car charger: Splitting one cigarette lighter socket into three [Review]

A few years ago, the very concept of a three port extender for your car's cigarette lighter socket would have caused some raised eyebrows. Even if you were in a car packed full of chainsmokers, three lighter sockets would be deemed excessive.

Of course, these days, the lighter socket is less for lighting cigarettes and more for powering devices, so Lumsing's power splitter serves a clear purpose.

What it does is extend a single 12-24V cigarette lighter port to three (for a total output of 70w), and includes a USB 5V output for good measure. So you can charge up to four pieces of equipment at the same time. The manual makes some suggestions -- Sat Nav, air purifier, car charger, Bluetooth device, FM transmitter, iPhone, Android phone, MP3 player, Kindle, iPad... and so on.

The appliance is 3.70 x 1.61 x 1.30 inches/9.39 x 4.08 x 3.30 cm in size, weighs 3.60oz/102.05 grams, and is made of white plastic and stainless steel. It comes with two sticky pads on the bottom, so you can affix it firmly into position wherever you like. The cable is long enough to give you plenty of positioning room.

To use it, you just need to plug the end into your vehicle's cigarette socket. An LED will light up indicating there's power, and you can plug in your other devices. The LED is perhaps a bit too bright and distracting when driving at night, but you can always cover it up if that's a problem.

Not everyone will have a need for the E-DR15, but it will definitely come in handy for anyone planning a long journey in a car packed full of gadget loving passengers.

This model is available in white or gray, and although it's priced at £20 on Amazon.co.uk (it's out of stock at Amazon.com), it is currently on sale for just £6.99.

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Lumsing PBJ-6200 Power Bank: A stylish phone charging solution [Review]

I charge my iPhone 5s every night -- it's pretty much a standard routine. Although people moan about the iPhone's battery life, I have no complaints. In fact my old Samsung Galaxy S III needed charging more regularly. But every so often a little extra battery boost is required, which is fine if I'm at home, but less convenient when I'm out and about (and I have no interest in being a wall hugger). This is where an external battery pack can come in handy.

Lumsing's PBJ-6200 Power Bank has already proven to be a life saver in the couple of weeks I've had it. The device is roughly the same dimensions as my phone -- 4.88x 2.64 x 0.51 inches (124 x 67 x13 mm) -- and has a 6,000mAh capacity, which is enough to charge my iPhone about three times (a Galaxy S4 twice, or an iPad mini once).

It weighs 6.49 oz/186g and offers a 1.5A microUSB port for charging (it comes with a cable for connecting to a PC or USB adapter, but there's no wall charger included), and two USB out ports -- one 1A port and one rated at 2.1A, so it's suitable for charging all manner of devices. It's even powerful enough to charge two devices at the same time.

It's stylishly designed, with an aluminum alloy shell, and four blue LEDs on the side which indicate the charge level when you hit the silver power button. Four lit LEDs equals 100 percent charge, three and one flashing is 75-100 percent, two and one flashing is 50-75 percent, one and one flashing is 25-50 percent and one flashing is less than 10 percent.

Charging the Power Bank is just a matter of plugging it in and clicking the power button. Two LEDs flash sequentially, showing it's charging.

Available in black and orange, or silver and blue, it's priced at £50 on Amazon.co.uk (it's out of stock at Amazon.com), but is currently selling for just £14.99.

While it's difficult to get too excited about a battery pack, the PBJ-6200 Power Bank is very stylishly designed, and smartly packaged. And, it comes at a price it's hard to argue with. If you need to charge a phone or tablet when you're away from a plug socket, it offers the perfect solution.

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Introducing Price Tracker Free

Introducing Price Tracker Free

What is Price Tracker of slickdeals?

Price Tracker?is a new tool we've been working on as another powerful way to help Slickdealers find great deals online. It's currently in beta with support for over 40 of your favorite stores including Amazon, Newegg, and Walmart.

Benefits of Price Tracker include:

• Showing you the best price on a product
• Sending alerts whenever Price Tracker find a lower price for a product
• Keeping a price history for the product so you can make a more informed decision

Go To Pricetracker Now!

Price Tracker supports over 40 stores, including favorites like Amazon, Newegg, and Walmart.

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It's Easy!

If you see an item you would like to track while browsing your favorite online stores, simply:

Copy the URL of a product page from any of our supported stores

Head over to Price Tracker and paste the URL into the text box

Click "Track"

We'll take it from there. After setting up your trackers you will receive notifications via email and PM when Price Tracker finds a lower price on any of your items.

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Managing Your Trackers

Any active trackers you have will appear in a list on the Price Tracker home page. From there you can:

• View the item's price history
• Find out which store has the current best deal on your item
• View the last recorded change in price
• Delete your tracker
• View all the stores where we are tracking this product and see when the price was last updated at those stores

We Have a Lot More in the Works

We're working hard on improving the product, adding more support stores, and would love to get your feedback. Here are some of the things we're thinking about adding:

• Control over the target price for your notifications
• Browser extensions to make tracking items even easier
• Mobile app version with push notifications

It is a beta, so please report any bugs in this thread.

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